Compare Prices on Carnival Paradise Western Caribbean Cruises

A WONDERFUL CRUISE!!!

Sail Date:
July 2013

Destination:
Western Caribbean

Embarkation:
Tampa

This was the our second cruise on Carnival and we had a fantastic time. I was a bit leary about cruising on the Paradise due to some of the negative reviews. We sailed on the Sensation (sister ship) last July and since I was familiar with the layout of the boat, I booked the same cabins (2 ocean view- 2 people per room)on the Upper deck. the cabins were roomy,clean, a little bit out dated but comfortable. The bathroom was well equipped and the shower pressure was great.

I tried the FTTF and we were on the ship by 11am and our room was ready as promised. Usually we carry on out own luggage but due to to the size of one of our bags we had to check them. Our bag arrived by 12 noon as well as out liquor that we ordered from Bon Voyage. It was very convenient not to carry our bags around while we had lunch. We brought water and soda in our carry on luggage as well as a sport bottle to mix our own drinks. It saved us a lot on drinks during the cruise. We did take advantage of the More
buckets of beer that were offered at a discounted rate.

The buffet was Italian and there was stuffed Eggplant, chicken, pasta and many more tasty items. The desserts included a variety of cheesecakes, fruit cups and other pastries.

Since it was July 4th when we set sail they had a hot dog eating contest and dancing on the Lido deck. I almost missed seeing the ship sail under the bridge but I looked up at the right time and saw it. Boy it looked like the funnel was going to hit.We had your time dining and waited on 5 minutes before we were seated. Our waiter Sergio was fantastic and had a great personality (His entire crew was great) I had stuffed Mushrooms, Salmon and of course the Chocolate Melting Cake. We ordered a bottle of wine and they saved it for us for dinner the next night.

We had a fantastic first day and slept like babies.( LOL)The AC in the cabin was perfect and it was very quiet. I chose the Upper deck because it was midship and there were sleeping cabins above and below us.

The Next day was a sea day. We had breakfast in the MDR. They had a variety of pastries, cereals and my favorite French Toast.

There were a variety of activities going on that kept us busy all day. My husband swam in the pool and sunbathed all day. The pool was a lot different than the Sensation and the water slide ended in the main pool. The water was clean and warm. There was a lot of people up on deck that day because the weather was great.Of course there were chair hoarders but we never had a problem getting a chair.

We played some slots in the Casino but never won much. It was fun watching the players on the black Jack and poker tables but I did not participate. Although smoking was allowed in parts of the casino, I never felt overwhelmed by the smoke even when cruisers were smoking near me. They must of had a great filtration system.

That night lobster and shrimp was served in the MDR.We each had 2 plates each and the lobster was great. Again Sergio and his team was great. It was cruise elegant night. We did not have to get all dressed up but people who whore tank tops were asked to change.

We enjoyed playing bingo ($20 a card) and my daughter won $160 credited toward our Sign and sail account. The Comedy shows were fun but by the end of the cruise the comedians did repeat some material. Overall they were great.

On Sat we docked at Cozumel. It rained during the night and the deck was slick. Unfortunately, I slipped on the tile by the beverage station on the Lido deck and lacerated my left elbow. The staff was very attentive and the supervisor Gabriel escorted me to the Medical Center. The Medical center was well equipped and the staff was great. I ended up getting a couple of sutures but nothing was broken. This did not prevent me from enjoying Cozumel.

We took a taxi ($32 round trip for 4 people) to Mr Sanchos Beach club and had a great time. We purchased the all inclusive pass for $45 a person and our waiter kept the food and drinks coming. The food was excellent and the drinks were tasty. The beach and water was clean. I have twins who are 18 and we allowed them to partake in a margarita and a Blue Flamingo while at the beach. They did not like the taste and stuck with water.

We even went horseback riding on the beach and had a great time. The horses were well trained and appeared well cared for.

Sunday was another sea day and there were plenty of activities to keep us busy. There was trivia, dance classes,bingo and in the evening we saw the show SHOUT. I enjoyed the show and the dancers were very good. Some of the Dancers ran the entertainment during the day. After that we headed to the comedy shows for a laugh.

The next day we had to say goodbye. Disembarkment went smoothly because we were allowed to leave with the VIP and going through customs was a breeze since we did not have anything other than tee shirts to declare.

The boat was a little rocky but I wore the scopalamine patch. There was a few time that I felt a twinge of nausea but the patch kept it in check.

Compare Prices on Carnival Paradise Western Caribbean Cruises

Cabin review: Carnival Paradise

Cabins U132 and U136 are on a lower deck and Midship.There were sleeping cabins above and below the staterooms so it was very quiet. If you are prone to motion sickness these are great cabins for you. the cabins were roomy,clean, a little bit out dated but comfortable. The bathroom was well equipped and the shower pressure was great.